After the Olympic games in 1992 and the massive cleaning operation of the Olympic marina, Barcelona's beaches have been attracting more and more visitors every year. Apart from being very clean the beaches offer several facilities including disabled access, beach lifeguards, sun beds, tents, umbrellas and showers.

Nova Icaria is a popular, yet crowded beach close to the Olympic marina. It has good beachside bars, restaurants and a nice long promenade.

Bogatell Beach is lined by a long stone walkway, excellent for jogging, rollerblading and cycling. There aren’t many restaurants and it’s a peaceful location to spend a relaxing evening on the sand.

Mar Bella Beach which is popular for water sports like windsurfing and kayaking is also a calm beach with a beautiful park and great spots for picnics and family outings.

Barceloneta Beach is wide and long, lined with bars and restaurants serving multiple cuisines including American. This beach is very popular with the locals and is consequently crowded, noisy and very jolly.

Casteldefells is just south of Barcelona and yet easily accessible and often over crowded.

If you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city beaches, there’re a few a bit further away that have more relaxed atmosphere. Beaches to the south tend to be wider and longer with shallower water making them safer for children, while the beaches to the north are usually more picturesque with deeper and bigger wave’s ideal for surfing and other water sports.

El Garraf Beach has good facilities and the town, a popular gay resort has a couple of nudist beaches. The main sandy beach is where the majority of people go, but a short walk round the corner and there’s a delightful cove which is a lot less hectic.